Council enters top 50 employers in equality index

Leeds City Council's leadership team with members of the LGBT+ Network celebrate the council's top 50 place on Stonewall's equality index

Rainbow Flag

The iconic rainbow flag which will fly from Leeds Civic Hall tomorrow

Leeds City Council has been named in the top 50 inclusive employers in the country by LGBT+ charity Stonewall.

The list showcases Britain’s employers who have demonstrated ‘outstanding work over the past year to make sure every LGBT+ employee is accepted without exception’.

Leeds City Council is ranked at number 50 in the top 100 employers alongside organisations of all sizes, including large multinational companies, government departments and universities.

Councillor James Lewis, deputy leader of Leeds City Council and LGBT+ champion said:

“We are extremely proud and pleased of our achievement in making Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers, ranking as the 50th top employer and the fourth best local authority in the UK. Some excellent work has taken place this year by people in the organisation and the LGBT+ Network continues to go from strength to strength. We will continue to innovate and improve to ensure we remain at the forefront of LGBT Inclusivity for both our staff and the people of Leeds.”

Stonewall said this about Leeds City Council’s success:

"It is brilliant to see Leeds City Council in the Stonewall Top 100, the organisation has consistently worked hard to make Leeds an LGBT inclusive city and to engage LGBT staff and service users in meaningful and nuanced ways. It has been fantastic to see the diverse LGBT community come together with committed allies at all levels of the council to drive change. This has been our most challenging Workplace Equality Index to date, so to be recognised in this way is a real achievement and is very well deserved."

James Rogers, director of communities and environment said

"I know that our LGBT+ staff network colleagues and our LGBT+ equality hub have taken big strides in the last few years to ensure that Leeds is an LGBT+ inclusive city and it is fantastic news to learn that our progress has been recognised with our inclusion in Stonewall’s top 100 employers.”

Rob Wilson, chair of the council’s LGBT+ Network said

“It’s great that the work our Staff Network has delivered and supported within the organisation has been recognised with our placement this year in the top 100 employers. Although our priority is on making Leeds City Council an LGBT+ inclusive employer, and ensuring that our colleagues feel the benefits of this work it’s fantastic that we’re able to spread this message of inclusion across a wider Network with this recognition”